The guests, grouped at candlelit tables on a warm Californian fall night, grew quiet as the best man began his speech. The way he described their relationship summed it up perfectly: “when I asked Larry about Mary, he simply replied ‘I love her man, I just love her.‘ Now, we all say we love our wives, but no one says it like THAT!” The reception came to life with laughter, but you could see it in everyone’s eyes that they knew what he meant. The way Larry beamed with joy as Mary walked down the aisle, the way he made her laugh. I could tell from our very first meeting, digging into pastas and BBQ chicken pizzas at CPK, that they were absolutely perfect for each other.

The wedding was held in the backyard of their stunning Walnut home. I was so impressed with all of the details (organized by the fabulous Ada of Fresh Events Company!) that transformed their home into the most beautiful and intimate of venues. I loved that Mary and her bridesmaids were able to get ready upstairs and then waltz downstairs for the ceremony – none of the stress of running between different sites! At night their backyard was transformed into a beautiful reception site, with a cozy bar and floating candles across the pool. Mary’s vision for her wedding perfectly matched her own admirable qualities – elegant, friendly, and warm.

Mary & Larry – thank you so much for choosing me to document your special day! Scott and I had such a great time at your wedding and wish you all the best in the years to come!! :)

Starting off with some details…

Something about lace dresses gets me everytime – love it!

Mary was absolutely radiant!

The ceremony begins… Larry’s smile just kept getting bigger and bigger as Mary walked down the aisle!

Catching the last of the light with a few portraits:

Love the rays Scott grabbed in this one!

And then it was time to morph the place into reception-mode!

Could this BE any cuter?? (*insert Chandler voice here*)

Mary and Larry rocked the rhumba for their first dance:

Their cake was from Ms. Ruby’s Bakery, renowned for their scrumptious red velvet. When we first met up to discuss their wedding plans, they so kindly gave me a piece, and it was honestly to DIE for!

I believe I uttered an audible “wow” when I first stepped out onto the ceremony site at the Charthouse Restaurant in Dana Point. The sky was bright blue, the ocean a refreshing shade of aquamarine, and stunning crimson roses adorned the sides of a perfect assembly of white chairs. The location and the weather were both to die for! It was the start of a perfect day, that waltzed us through a heartfelt ceremony and a lively reception, all the way to the Ritz Carlton, where we finished up with some photos at the bar and on the balcony of their oceanview room! Heather and Rory were both so full of joy and happiness and it was an honor to share in their amazing day! It was great getting to shoot with the ever-furious Doug and Tang again too! :)











Loved all the classic details:







Excuse me bartender?





Wrapping it up with a few shots at the Ritz:

I had been to Stanford University’s campus once before and I remember thinking how it didn’t feel like a campus at all – it felt like a museum, or some archaic town in Europe. I paid the campus my second visit last month, when I got to accompany the awesome Serena Grace to a wedding in Palo Alto. Before meeting the bride and groom we stopped by Stanford to scout out some cool photo spots and let me tell you, cool photo spots are EVERYWHERE. You could probably run around the campus all day trying to take a bad picture and you’d end up dejected, with a camera full of miserably beautiful pictures. The architecture, the huge quads, the fields of willows – I’m still taken aback by the sheer SPACE on the campus (coming from UCLA aka “Under Construction Like Always”, where every square inch houses a dorm/building/parking structure/sometimes all 3.)

Jen and Eric fit the classic architecture beautifully. They both had such an easy elegance (I fell in love with Jen’s perfect lace gown!) and had a beautiful wedding filled with joy and emotion. I usually try to limit myself to one little tear-sesh a wedding, but I found myself getting choked up during both the ceremony AND the reception. There were so many heartfelt words and feelings exchanged and Jen and Eric’s love between each another, and with their families, filled up the room.

Thank you Jen and Eric for allowing me to witness your special day, and thank you Serena for inviting me to take the little trip up to NorCal to shoot with you!

A few more portraits…